Re: Birds Rising on a Pillar of Rocket Exhaust [AAE IC #258]

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:48:06 -0600
Zia Sent
AAE In Character List Post Number: 258

> On Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:47:55 -0800
> Patrick O’Shea Sent
> AAE In Character List Post Number: 256
>> Zia Sent
>> AAE In Character List Post Number: 255
>>
> <Snip!>
>>
>> “Now, whom else could I ask for assistance, and what should I ask for?
>> A nice complete dossier on our enemies might be good. Even better, a
>> way to prevent being digitized; from the screaming, that seems to be a
>> painful process as well as a fairly permanent one.” She muses out
>> loud, her circuit-Trump now taking shape with far fewer squawks and
>> sparks as it nears completion.
>>
>
> “I sense a soul in search of answers.” From where he was working, Cam
> glanced at the Amberite, easy smile on his face. “And I could use a break
> from tech work.”

“Heh. Don’t know about the soul, but the answers would be nice.” That smile didn’t seem to be a flirting one, just friendly and easy-going. A good person to ask, then. Zia uses her Lens, to sense of perception the area around the jets. If anyone is there, working inside or standing nearby, she’ll go on the Lens to (@)Warning, jets are going to fire up; please stand clear!(@)

“So, what can you tell me about the combat situation? You’re Cam, right?”

> “It’s kind of maddening, in a way. There’s no real name level monsters like
> we used to get. Usually, it’s a mix of Cogs, though they’re getting rare.
> Easy to pick out, they look like humanoids in silver jumpsuits with bronze
> faceplates. Their faces can flip up and fire energy bolts, sometimes they
> carry lances. Dangerous in large numbers.
>
> “Dreadtroopers…that was the first, and so far, main force that Soar-On
> threw at Earth. They are robots, partially autonomous, limited modular
> abilities; Bill’s running a comm system we stole off a scout ‘trooper. Big
> difference between them and the Cogs is…” Cam tenses slightly, as a
> memory chases across his face. They shoot. A lot. And Soar-On doesn’t
> mind sacrificing a battalion if it wipes out a potential problem.
>
> “Sorry. I was five when they wiped out my village. We were all ninja, but
> between an army of blaster-wielding robots and aerial bombardment, we never
> had a chance.”

Zia grimaces, but she does _not_ make any of those pointlessly sentimental statements, such as ‘oh, I’m so sorry that happened to your entire village’. She has seen enough of evil throughout shadow to know bad things happen, usually to bad people – but sometimes to the utterly innocent, also. And there is nothing so fatuous as someone who did not go through the battle with you remarking on how sorry they are for pure irritant.

> “Anyway, the digitisation bit we can handle; low level energy field can
> block the effect of the beam on a single person. There’s a unit built in on
> Evan’s Rider Belt, and we have a few spares we can hand out to anyone
> needing them. Only problem is that they don’t stop anything else.”

“Well. The boat is bailed a bucket at a time.” Zia carefully lays a hand on the circuit-breadboarded Trump. Control surfaces all around change and the engines roar to life. She listens to the thrum of the engines. “We’re good to go. See if you can get enough of those units to cover the team, here. We will never have a numerical advantage in this fight, but keeping what numbers we do have seems like a good idea.”

(@)Roland-da? If it pleases you, I have completed pre-flight checklist and the engines are warming up… all indicators are currently green. Do you want me to take her up and give you a break from it, or would you rather pilot?(@) Zia would rather have him here, for learning a new craft even when one is a skilled pilot is no joke, but she does believe she could manage if needed.

> Elsewhere in the Godphoenix.
>
> “Okay,” the former Ranger closed up a console on the bridge. “I;ve wired
> the field generators into the power supply. As long as you don’;t run out
> of gas, you should retain hull integrity and be able to function in space.
> Just need a few more things from supply, and we’ll be able to-”
>
> There’s a sudden, six-tone beeping noise. Billy turns white, reaches into a
> pocket, and pulls out what looks like a watch. THumbing a control, he says
> “Who…hello?”
>
> The signal is horrible, ripped through with static and sounds of explosions
> and, behind it, a reverberating…electronic hum. Still, the sound of a
> woman’s voice cuts through it. “Billy? Is that-” another explosion.
> “Ireland. He’s coming down…zzrkt…Na Nog….Knows
> where…krrrktmm…Zeo Crystal…-tearing the island apart!”
>
> The connection dies out. Billy is silent for a second, then looks at
> whoever else in in the room with him. “Cam and I need to get something.
> Then we’re leaving.
>
> “And we -are- coming with you.”

(@)All ashore that’s going ashore! This bird is about to do a flit!@ Zia’s “voice” rings out to every mind within the GodPhoenix or standing near it.

“I have the most dreadful temptation to Lens Starbuck and dare him to a climbing-scissors match. Silly, especially when HIS craft is _designed_ for space flight.” She smiles at Tom, and goes back to muttering over her board lights, and changing this or that one a bit to adjust the feed to the engines.

Zia
When God isn’t your copilot, an Amberite will do in a pinch.